It is the 16th of Arodus, in the year 4710. The festival of Armasse used to be a holy day for the worshipers of Aroden, but since the Last Azlanti’s death a century ago the holiday has taken a more general tone for those who live beside the horror of the Worldwound. It is a day for the celebration of life, the appreciation of family and the pledge to endure and defeat the demons trying to break into reality. Smiles on faces normally marred by downcast eyes and furrowed brows do wonders for city morale in the weeks leading up to the event. The city is now in celebration as you make your way to Clydwell Plaza to attend the opening ceremonies that will begin the festival. Many have come here for many reasons, and you are but one of them.

******

When I first joined E, it was for one reason. To run Wrath of the Righteous in an unadulterated way that shows both the heroism of the Crusaders and the depravity of the demons they fight. Of all of the work that I’ve seen Paizo produce, Wrath of the Righteous is some of the best and has some of the best characters. The thing is that a war with demons is a brutal affair and could be rated R for many, many reasons. Sadly, for a number of reasons, some structural in the intial adventure, some of them personal, that game has effectively fizzled. To this end, I've rewritten the opening of the first chapter to deal with some of the issues of running Wrath in a forum and am itching to get the ball rolling again. This is an awesome campaign, and come hell or high water, I want to see it though to the end.

Actually, both of those things are likely to happen.

Setting: Golarion Number of PCs: Four.Level: SecondClasses: Any pathfinder class. I’d like to aim for roughly the classical “balanced” party, although I’m okay with deviating from it a bit. I’d strongly advise that one character be a paladin, but the choice is up to you guys and gals. Races: Any standard race is okay. I’ve also adapted several monstrous races to LA +0 (10-13 RP) versions using the rules of the ARG on my blog, which has a link below. I would be more than happy to allow you to use one of these races, or to work with you to create another 10 RP monstrous race if their background and motivations work with the campaign. Ability Scores: Generate using 20 point buyHP: Full at first level, then half+1 at each level afterwards. Starting gold: 1000 gpCharacter Age: 21+, or racial equivalent. No exceptions.Alignment: Any non-evil, with exceptions for individual concepts and players. I am willing to entertain the idea of neutral characters working for other forces of evil that are opposed to the Abyss (such as Hell) but they must be willing to work with and take orders from Good PCs and NPCs of their own volition, and not backstab said characters when convenient. Also keep in mind that the party will still average on the side of light and justice, so there would be no more than one such character. See character tips below for more details. Furthermore, everyone in the group need to be able to get along. Asshole evil, preachy good, lawful templar, and chaotic jerk characters should be avoided. Background: Does not need to massive, but personal character arcs are part of this AP, so you need to give me enough to work with. I’m going be putting effort into tying your background in to the campaign, so please put the effort into your story first! Also, remember you get one campaign trait which ties into your background which must be integrated. If two characters want to have the same trait, they will have to have some aspect of shared background in this campaign. Traits: Everyone gets two, plus an additional campaign trait from the Wrath of the Righteous Player’s Guide, although each player must take a different campaign trait. I’m willing to be flexible with the backstory behind each of these traits though, so you you don’t have to use them verbatim. Also, this game is going to go mythic eventually and each trait is tied into a particular mythic path in the Player’s Guide. I am going to do away with that, regardless of what trait and path you pick, you will be able to gain the full benefits of the trait when the time is right. Mythic Progression: The mythic progression is likely to be slightly slower in my version of the game, but you will gain at least one mythic tier per adventure. Still working out details.

Posting Rate: I don't expect daily posts, since I know few people who can keep that rate up, however if you are gone 72 hours without posting in the game thread with no prior notice, I'll be checking in via PM. If that's going unanswered, or happening multiple times, I'll be opening the game back up to someone who can post more regularly. I don't want to be a hardass, but that's what it takes to keep forum games going I'm afraid. Personality: As I said above, your character needs to be trusting enough to work with others without trying to screw them over (… screw them on the other hand…). Keep a game cohesive on the boards is hard enough with characters getting sarcastic with one another. Further beyond that, your characters must be interactive. Playing a lone wolf, or someone who is not constantly contributing because its "not in character" for them to interact is neither fair nor appreciated in my games, nor to do I have much tolerance for that play style. I know that may come off as being an ass, but my overwhelming observation has been that those characters kill games and suck the fun out of it for everyone else, neither of which are scenarios I want. Appearance: As you please, although a picture is required so that I can use it with our maps, although it doesn’t have to be a perfect representation of your character (Blinkin excepted as per usual).Sexuality: This is a war story. People under the pressure of life or death often deal with that through sex. This is also a story of demons. They use sex as temptation. I like to see the relations between characters grow. That may or may not have sexual aspect. So do expect sex to happen, although won't expect to get intimate with whoever you want right off the bat (although celebrity does have its perks). It will take at least some work, although you certainly could greatly expedite that if you play your cards right. Now with the fun stuff out of the way, here is the fair warning. Non-con and sexual relations with anyone under 18 are totally off limits for me. I feel that even in erotica, neither have their place and should not be used in any manner other than as a show of utter depravity, and never in a manner that is meant to turn on the reader. Even manipulation with magic I would consider at best to be morally grey, and I would not hesitate to classify it as a form of rape.

Selection: I will post a timer countdown to the day I'm making my picks on. I'll take 4 characters once the timer hits zero. You'll have about two weeks.

I’ve also copied the following out of the Player’s Guide for ease of reference and to spark some ideas:

Character tips

How should you prepare for the dangers that await you in the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path? Just keep the following in mind when creating your character. These hints, suggestions, and character options are designed to help you create characters perfectly suited to jumping right into—and excelling over the course of—this mythic campaign.Alignment: The theme of good versus evil is paramount throughout Wrath of the Righteous, more so than law versus chaos. Good-aligned characters make the most sense for this Adventure Path, be they lawful, neutral, or chaotic. Whether you play a lawful good hero or a character with more flexible morals, it’s important that your character be easily motivated to go to the Worldwound and fight demons. It‘s also a good idea, as in any campaign, to make your choice in a way that won’t be disruptive to the party. The disruption caused by bringing different alignments into the party will vary from group to group, so the best way to make sure that your choice works is to talk with your group about what you’re planning.Bringing Friends: Friendly NPCs will be playing significant roles as allies throughout the Adventure Path, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your own friends. Small or Medium eidolons and animal companions will be more appropriate early in the campaign, and as early as the second adventure, larger companions and mounts will have numerous chances to shine. There are elements of travel, so you don’t need to elave your mount at home.Classes: Wise generals use every tool available, and as such all disciplines are used in the fight against the demons of the Worldwound. You can find a place for a character of any class in Wrath of the Righteous, but some choices might seem especially appropriate. The paladin is an obvious choice, but any good-aligned religious class is certainly appropriate. This includes clerics (particularly with martial archetypes, like Crusader), inquisitors, or even oracles with the battle mystery. Cavaliers also make fine crusaders, particularly those sworn to the order of the star or to the various battlefield orders. Rangers who choose evil outsiders as their favored enemies are also particularly valuable. Though much of this Adventure Path concerns itself with martial elements and divine magic, it doesn’t leave out arcane casters. Sorcerers and wizards with talents for conjuration will find places to shine in the Adventure Path, and knowledge of the planes is important for those who fight against demonkind.As you contemplate what class your character will be, consider the new options you will potentially have from Pathfinder RPG Mythic Adventures. Mythic paths are not tied to specific classes, but certain classes get more benefit out of particular paths.Crusading Faiths: The faiths of Abadar, Iomedae, Sarenrae, Shelyn, and Torag are the most active among the crusaders of Mendev, although those of other good deities and empyreal lords (particularly Desna or the Empyreal Lord Pulura) have important roles to play as well. Faith in a deity is not required, but many of the allies and resources you’ll be encountering have ties to the good deities of Golarion.Demons and Other Foes: Demons are the primary foes you’ll be facing in Wrath of the Righteous, but chaotic evil outsiders are far from the only enemies you’ll encounter. Humans, dwarves, and native outsiders are common as well, in the form of cultists and other opponents. Undead, aberrations, magical beasts, and vermin enemies will also be encountered relatively often.Origins: People from all over the Inner Sea find their way north to Mendev, offering their swords to fight against the demons of the Worldwound. As such, your character can reasonably originate from anywhere in the Inner Sea. The Adventure Path begins in the crusader city of Kenabres, so make sure that your character has a reason to enlist in the fight and venture to Kenabres. The campaign begins on a holy day, so perhaps your character made a pilgrimage to Kenabres to celebrate the day prior to swearing herself or himself to the cause. A short primer on the city of Kenabres is included in this Player’s Guide on page 9.Paladins: This Adventure Path is an excellent choice for paladin characters—not only are there a lot of foes paladins shine against, but from a roleplaying standpoint, the crusade against the Worldwound is tailor-made for paladins. Keep in mind, though, that there will be points during your adventure where things will look dark, and you will be presented with some difficult moral and ethical choices at times—in addition, make sure to read the notes on redemption on page 11.Races: Outnumbered and facing an assault from evil outsiders, the crusade today has no compunctions regarding race when it comes to outfitting its forces. Able-bodied men and women from all races are welcome so long as they are willing to fight the good fight. At one time tieflings were distrusted and shunned, but now some of the fiend-blooded fight alongside aasimars while defending Mendev or striking against the horrors of the Worldwound. Many tiefling crusaders claim that their blood makes them the best suited to fighting demons, and they also have defenses that help them shrug off some of the demons’ deadliest attacks. In addition to defending the continent from demonic horror, a fair number of dwarves who have joined the crusades battle the Worldwound in hopes of reclaiming a lost Sky Citadel within its borders.While nearly every human ethnicity in the Inner Sea region can be counted among those who fight against the Worldwound, some say the Kellids are the most passionate about healing the Abyssal wound. Their homeland of Sarkoris fell when the Worldwound opened, and many Kellids in Mendev’s army fight not only to ensure the safety of future generations, but also to redeem their ruined homeland.Redemption: Not every evil NPC in Wrath of the Righteous is meant to be killed. Now and then, you’ll encounter NPCs who are working hard to be redeemed, or otherwise working against their evil natures. Wrath of the Righteous will give characters several opportunities to redeem and guide NPCs and organizations alike toward the path of righteousness. Redemption might also be a personal mission for your character. Perhaps your character decided to fight for the crusades as a way to purge a tainted past.

Definitely tempted by this! I've always loved the sound of WotR, but my IRL group got stuck somewhere midway through the infinite giant wastes of Rise of the Runelords, and the spectre of another 2d6 rune giant fighters broke us at last. This sounds really cool, though, and I particularly like this:

Quote

When I first joined E, it was for one reason. To run Wrath of the Righteous in an unadulterated way that shows both the heroism of the Crusaders and the depravity of the demons they fight. Of all of the work that I’ve seen Paizo produce, Wrath of the Righteous is some of the best and has some of the best characters. The thing is that a war with demons is a brutal affair and could be rated R for many, many reasons.

I'll have a think about characters, and nab the Player's Guide. Just as a heads up, your dropbox link is broken - or at least I can't access it (Link Not Found error).

Are you wanting full characters to choose from or just detailed concepts?

And while you have any class/race just about are there any you really don't want around? Or do want around?I use the SRD myself and don't always catch the blurb about what book each class is from so a list to avoid is nice. :)

I would very much like to take part in ongoing discussions for this game, and I'd strongly like to be considered as an applicant. I am certain that, with the popularity of PF games, this will get very full and full of chatter fast, so if I miss an update or a question, please let me know.

I have two character concepts that I've been toying with over the years, but I will read up on this campaign first to try to find a character that fits. I would very much like to play a paladin that is "lawful good, not awfully stupid", driven hero struggling to stay on the right side of the law in a dark world... or, there's the stand-by outcast with noble intentions, dangerous urges, and a strong sense of social justice despite the law.

Should this be fitting, I can begin drafting up character ideas for consideration. Thanks for your time--

I didn't get in the first time around when you ran this, but hope springs eternal!

I've even got an idea for the character I'd like to play - a Dhampir Holy Gun/Mysterious Stranger, since you said a paladin is a good idea and I'd like to try out a gun-wielding character in PF.

EDIT: And more brainstorming....a dhampir born of a union between a paladin and a vampire she was trying to redeem. At his birth, the smell of the blood drove the father into a frenzy, killing his mother. The grieving father either destroys himself under the sun in penance, or disappears declaring his intention to do so, and the character is left an orphan. The backstory for the Empereal Lord Ragathiel is just about a perfect match, so I'm going to grab the Touched By Faith campaign trait. Like his patron, the character struggles to suppress his blood hunger and fights a never-ending quest to do good and overcome his tainted heritage.

I'm a little iffy about this mainly because a Holy Gun can't fulfill any of the four traditional party roles, being a low-skill point lightly armored ranged combatant. But if that can be worked around somehow, I think it's an excellent match thematically for the crusade and redemption themes of the adventure path. DM feedback appreciated before I start to crunch numbers or write a detailed backstory.

And while you have any class/race just about are there any you really don't want around? Or do want around?I use the SRD myself and don't always catch the blurb about what book each class is from so a list to avoid is nice. :)

Not in particular. Gunslingers would take a lot of work to adapt in, but its doable. Everything else should be workable.

I didn't get in the first time around when you ran this, but hope springs eternal!

I've even got an idea for the character I'd like to play - a Dhampir Holy Gun/Mysterious Stranger, since you said a paladin is a good idea and I'd like to try out a gun-wielding character in PF.

EDIT: And more brainstorming....a dhampir born of a union between a paladin and a vampire she was trying to redeem. At his birth, the smell of the blood drove the father into a frenzy, killing his mother. The grieving father either destroys himself under the sun in penance, or disappears declaring his intention to do so, and the character is left an orphan. The backstory for the Empereal Lord Ragathiel is just about a perfect match, so I'm going to grab the Touched By Faith campaign trait. Like his patron, the character struggles to suppress his blood hunger and fights a never-ending quest to do good and overcome his tainted heritage.

I'm a little iffy about this mainly because a Holy Gun can't fulfill any of the four traditional party roles, being a low-skill point lightly armored ranged combatant. But if that can be worked around somehow, I think it's an excellent match thematically for the crusade and redemption themes of the adventure path. DM feedback appreciated before I start to crunch numbers or write a detailed backstory.

This may actually be the best way to do a gunslinger in this adventure. We could make it work for sure. This would be a very interesting character concept. I'd go with the orphan option, it will make the backstory easier to work with.

Everyone: In light of the above, it bears making note that the campaign traits will modify your backgrounds somewhat, and some plot twists are bigger than others.

I was mostly clarifying for Thorne, since she seemed to take Chula's claiming of the 'spellcaster slot' seriously and wanted to switch concepts because of it.

I'll probably submit a character - possibly Bard, possibly Investigator or maybe Swashbuckler. The low-skill classes just don't seem to do it for me lately.

That said, that particular AP goes pretty high from what I know, so it might also be an opportunity to try and get a Shadow Conjuration/Evocation caster going if that's not too ... well, shady, for an overall good party. I've been wanting to try that for ages.

Oh, by the 'standard' races, do you mean the core races? Mostly asking because I don't like gnomes and the other race that naturally lends itself to the above idea is the Fetchling, with their various shadow-related racials. I wouldn't mind removing some of the extra stuff, like the SLA-progression if Featured Races are available but high RP count is a problem.

Using Skinwalker instead of a proper afflicted were template to avoid lv1 DR 5 and LA+ X shennanigans.

As far as concept goes, the guy was a human noble who took a fateful trip through the bayou and was attacked by a weregator; he was bitten and left for dead, then later found by his family. He recovered from his injuries, but the next full moon showed him to be a were now himself. His family tossed him out after that, and he was forced to live like a hobo/hermit with limited knowledge on how to survive in this fashion.

He carried a lot of anger with him from the fact his posh life was stripped away from him, and it burdened him for a long time. At some point he came to terms with the fact that the anger didnt help him and wouldnt undo what was done to him - his fate was pretty much sealed. So he begins a quest to free himself of the grip of the moon by mastering his change. Once he does so, he becomes a hunter of other weres through his unique gifts - the beastial strength tempered by a shrewd intellect. He is generally a decent enough person but his Zealous crusade against weres may have claimed a few innocent lives, as his ultimate goal is to come as close to abolishing the disease as possible - I cant properly call him good-alligned but he is not explictly evil.

I really like playing characters that break the status quo without being super uber special snowflakes of ultimate doom.

Throwing my interest in with a slightly altered version of the ranger that I played before.

Lydia Redfern

Physical Description:Lydia could be best described as a striking woman of unusual beauty. A mass of rich chestnut colored hair falls about her face and shoulders in curly locks, framing a lightly tanned face that’s dominated by slightly upturned almond shaped Midnight blue eyes. Slightly pouty lips under a straight nose and a firm, almost stubborn chin completes her visage. An athletic figure with a combination of soft curves and firm muscles are accentuated with generous C-cup breast, a slender, toned waist and flaring out into rounded hips and rear. Long, lean legs and well toned arms complete the image. She is most often seen in well made, serviceable, if not overly expensive clothing in nature toned colors.

Personality:Lydia is a woman who enjoys life with a zest that could leave some winded simply by watching her. A constant, vibrant energy seems to infuse her every breath and she firmly believes that life is meant to be lived, people anoyed and humor above all is to be encouraged. If you’re as likely as not to die tomorrow, live for today! A relatively good natured person, she is as much at home in a crowd of people in a tavern as she is in the wilds of the forest. If you make it through her demanding standards, you’re a friend who’ll never find anyone more loyal to the concept… If you’re an enemy… well, there’s loyalty there too.

Background:Lydia is the only child of parents with a serious taste of wonderlust and desire to see what was around the next hill; settling down only long enough to restore their supplies, make some more coin and gather up items to sell in the next town or settlement that they came to. As a result, Lydia was never sure where she was born, or where she came from… only that the world was vast and she longed to stay in one place.

When Lydia was in her early teens, her family was attacked by a demon that had gotten through the ward stones;Her parents were killed and Lydia left for dead. She never knew how long she laid at the edge of death, in a state between one world and the next before she was found by a half-elf who had been tracking the demon for some time. The man, a ranger by profession, cared for her until she returned to the world of the living and took Lydia under his wing. As she grew older and began to display some of the talents of woodlore and animals, he began to teach her the basics of his own calling.

As time went on, Lydia and Elister, her mentor and adoptive guardian, became an not uncommon sight in the forest and surrounding lands as she learned her craft and sold the occasional bow in the settlements or towns for the few things that she couldn’t obtain from the land.

When the call went out of the gathering of another crusade to push the demons back filtered through the world, Lydia, with the memory of her parents in her mind, set out to do her part, to take vengeance for what had happened to her and her parents, for what had happened to so many thousands more over the scores of years that the blight was upon the land. With her bow in hand, she vowed to send every demon she laid eyes on back to it’s infernal rest.

Traits/racial traits:Ability Score: +2 to any one ability Score.Bonus Feat: Humans gain a bonus feat at 1st levelSkilled: Humans gain 1 extra skill point per level.Favored Class: 1 skill point for animal Companion per level (2)Traits:Exposed to Aweful: If a save vs a demon effect that would physically or mentally harm you fails, you may reroll as a free action 1xday. Must take second roll.Blood of Dragons: Low-Light Vision. Magical Knack: +2 to spell levels and effects.

Basically, Breaker is a mix of three ideas I've been mulling over in my head for a while now. First up, I've always liked the idea of exploring a little more what Eidolons actually are, and exploring the relationship with their summoners a bit more - hence, the idea of what a relationship between an Eidolon and a Summoner is like when the Eidolon gets the upper hand, and is effectively calling the shots/acting as a kind of possessing force that can be 'let out of the bag' a little (i.e. summoned as a fused Eidolon). I've also enjoyed writing her as an inversion of the usual 'we dug too deep and unearthed something awful' cliche - something weird, but on the side of good, got unleashed in the bowels of the earth, and has steadily been making its way to the surface. Finally, she's a servant of Arshea, the empyreal lord of freedom and constraint - of shedding what you once were, and becoming fluid - the whole idea of freedom, redemption and the sacrifices and constraints that you need to place on yourself to get there is a pretty key theme to her character, and should hopefully work well with the themes of WotR. She's certainly a bit weird, and might be an unusual warrior in the Fifth Crusade - 'dark elf who turns into celestial spider with a penchant for thunderous preaching' is a bit out there - but I think that a lot of her weirdness ought to work well with what WotR is about, and she'll be natural well-inclined to get on well with other crusaders.

As far as 'party role' goes, I see her/them as being a tank/melee slugger, with a few potential extra roles to round the party out - a few utility abilities from her spell casting, and a back-up role as a diplomat and ecclesiatical negotiator; hopefully that fits in well with other people's idea of the party! I've taken 'Touched by Divinity (Arshea)' as her campaign trait, since it makes sense for her background (again, inverting the 'mysterious dreams leading you to unconsciously unearth something awful' cliche), but if other people want dibs on that, and she got into the running for the final party, I could probably shift things around to have her use 'Stolen Fury' or 'Touched by Awfulness' with only a small amount of re-jigging as a substitute. Probably angling for the Marshal mythic tier in the end.

Confession of Erakasyne Morrinoe, mendicant-servitor of Arshea, to Spark Lightdaughter, Adept-Martial of the Arshea, Empyreal Lord and Spirit of Abandon

‘We dug too deep.

‘I know that now. What was I expecting, following the dreams and seductions of an Empyreal Lord of the infinite heavens, leading me to organise expeditions deeper and deeper into the Darklands? What was I expecting when, guided by my Lady’s whispers, I instructed my miners to pierce the stratum of raw adamantine that inexplicably met their picks? What else should I have expected, but that the THING of such indescribable beauty in my dreams should rise from the crevass beneath, an octet of blade-limbs lancing out like rays of the morning sun to gut the overseers of my slaves, to sever their manacles and chains, to ensare my soul and drag it into itself? She guided me to that moment, and in my old blinded state, I could not recognise that by making me unearth the Breaker of Chains, I was unleashing good into the world.

‘I am - I was - Erakasyne Morrinoe, a cousin of royalty in Umberweb, the deepest city of the Drow in the Darklands. I was a child of privilege, to be sure, but not so much that I could rest on my laurels without becoming easier prey for those more conniving and entrepreneurial than I. So I took up mining - hardly a noble trade, but since we were in the outpost of civilisation closest to Golarion’s telluric heart, one that would at least be able to buttress a place for me in Umberweb culture - perhaps one of the only choices available to me in the bitterly conflict-riven, bitterly constraining society we’d built up around ourselves. We were successful, for a time - driven by dreams and visions I told no other about, I directed my slaves to previously unknown veins of precious metals and gems of exquisite beauty, recovering hauls that gave even the most hardened Abraxite disciples pause - but each new expedition drew us further and further from the watchful protection of Umberweb’s militia and overseers, forcing me to give my slaves more and more autonomy in order to carry out our work.

‘And then finally, we dug too deep, and released Breaker. They’re well-named, if somewhat unimaginatively - unconstrained, flaring with long-hoarded power and anger over the little serf-fief I’d made, they tore apart the few guards I’d brought with me, sent the newly-freed slaves packing under their blessing and protection, and then, seeking out a vessel and host, tore apart my soul, and took up residence there. In a moment, every obeisance to the Demon Lords - to Abraxas, to Areshkagal, to Nocticula - was burned to sacred ash, the flames of which burn in my heart still. To this day, I don’t know why, and they won’t tell me - there are parts of their mind I’m barred access to, even when we’re together. If I flatter myself, I’d say that it’s because, in my own way, I was under social bondage of my own - trapped in a society that would murder me if I did not act as a dutiful servant to its rituals, customs, and culture - but I’m not sure how much priority Arshea puts on saving us underfolk from ourselves, especially when we have, from the comfort of our own homes, signed the death warrants of dozens, hundreds of slaves under our own command. My knowledge of the planes suggests that many inhabitants of the Upper and Lower planes cannot only exist on Golarion without certain preconditions being met, and that possession is a common technique for demons to remain here beyond their allotted time - but I cannot believe that Breaker would act in such a way, either to invade the Material without authorisation, or to take another’s freedom by consuming their soul - I j-just cannot. Third, and most promising, from what I’ve heard of the Host of Delectation’s theology, is that Breaker took my freedom to me, in order to give it to me. While they’re in my head, in my heart, my soul may not entirely be my own, but I can see, do, act in ways that I could not otherwise. If I had left their sundered prison, to go back to a life of slavery and enslavement, how free would I truly be? But with my Chains Broken, I now can see the evil I’ve wrought in the world, and, with the aid of my jailor, do something to redeem myself, free myself from these chains of sin.

‘And so I fled. Breaker made themselves a form that could sustain me, sustain us both, as we evaded patrols, clambered up through the Darklands, slew or bargained our way past what opposed us. It was a hard time - a penance, a self-scourging, a down-payment on all the suffering I’d caused to others in my life - but my Eidolon protected me, bleeding off power and essence in great kenotic waves in order to stop me from falling before I could protect myself.’

<She coughs, is silent for a moment. When she resumes speaking, she is cautious, a slightly harried and nervous tone rising in her voice.>

‘We reached the surface, and, for a time, lay there, wearing naught the tattered finery we’d once possessed, newborns gasping at the sun for the first time. After hours - no, days - Breaker, now a shade of their former self, retreated back inside me, to heal, and bade me travel north via safehouses of our Lady’s, to Mendev, and the Worldwound. It was there that they told me I might act to free others - from their existence in service to darkness, from oppression under the Abyss’ shadow, from the hardening of hearts and certitude that war forces onto the best of us, Arshea cared not - and in doing, so, free myself. I arrived at the gates of Kenabr - oh Spirit of Abandon, please, not no- not n-‘

<There’s a coughing sound, a retching, a gagging as something catches in her throat, and then escapes in a spill of oddly rustling vomit onto the floor. Silence for ten, twenty, thirty seconds. Then she begins speaking again, with greater confidence, vigour, and what can only be described as joy. Her voice is twinned with another, an alto slightly deeper than her own, which musically and playfully races along with hers, sometimes a half-step behind, sometimes anticipating her by a fraction of a second.>

’BE NOT AFRAID!

‘As one servant of the Empyreal Liege knows another, know this, sister-adept in Arshea’s service - that I am the Breaker of Chains, and that I speak through the one who was once Erakasyne Morrinoe. I am the one who wove the gossamer thread for Arshea’s veils, who severs the cords binding the oppressed and who spins adamantine chains to bind the free.

‘Though once entrapped beneath the earth, I am now free, by the hands of those who once bound me, and my progress is once more unrestricted. We - our body, our soul, our purpose - are bent to the will of the Spirit of Abandon, and I grow within and of and from my host’s body to a form that once again may be fit to do the Spirit’s work.

‘Know this: that Arshea stands with the Crusade and with their more martial siblings, and teaches their lesson, through the service of their servant:

‘There is no greater freedom, no greater love, no greater assertion of our own lives than to give all up in service of freedom, love, and life, and to bend our knees before what is good, and right, and just. Through this - the weakest servant of Arshea, once a slave-driver, once an Enemy of the Faith whose heresy has now been BURNED from her heart, once what we all seek to destroy and topple - we will together show the world that not even the Abyss itself has dominion over those who live in love.

‘For the Fifth Crusade!’

Appearance and demeanour

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

When Breaker is dormant, Erakasyne looks much like any other Dark Elf, if a little more androgynous and ‘slight’ - both physically and metaphysically - than the average member of Drow aristocracy. The recent tumults and reversals in her life, though, make themselves clearly known - what once might have been remarked on as signs of luxury and beauty in Umberweb have either turned to flab, or been scoured away by her journey of penance and long subterranean vigils guarding sputtering campfires. It’s her face and bearing, however, that truly give her away - her wind-ravaged skin is literally cracked and riven by worry lines, and she’s constantly checking the exits, her shadow, and anything else that might hide … well, something.

When the Breaker-of-Chains - her ‘eidolon’ - is active, however (and, if trouble’s to be expected, they often are active), things are very different, and certainly convey a sense of Not From Around Here. The Breaker is a lunatic splice of drifting mist-fine gossamer veils, finely-wrought instrument of navigation, and cave-dwelling arachnid - long, time-weathered metallic blade-limbs that taper to asymptotic points, a mouth filled with razor-edged geometric shapes rather than teeth or mandibles, and a cluster of eyes like fist-sized chunks of fire-melted glass that glitter with an unspoken promise of rapturous freedom from all constraints of How Things Once Were. It is beautiful, in its own way, and between the vessel and possessor, the two of them draw grace and confidence from their mission to bring beauty, freedom, and love to the world. While Breaker enjoys particular influence over the relationship, they are prone to making grandiloquent prophetic statements about their purpose in the world and relationship (neither of which is unambiguously clear …) with their Empyreal Lord, Arshea, every action, gesture, and word a lesson both for those around them, and the penitent Erakasyne.

That said, that particular AP goes pretty high from what I know, so it might also be an opportunity to try and get a Shadow Conjuration/Evocation caster going if that's not too ... well, shady, for an overall good party. I've been wanting to try that for ages.

Oh, by the 'standard' races, do you mean the core races? Mostly asking because I don't like gnomes and the other race that naturally lends itself to the above idea is the Fetchling, with their various shadow-related racials. I wouldn't mind removing some of the extra stuff, like the SLA-progression if Featured Races are available but high RP count is a problem.

Fetchling would be fine if you can find a way to knock it down to 13 RP.

Using Skinwalker instead of a proper afflicted were template to avoid lv1 DR 5 and LA+ X shennanigans.

As far as concept goes, the guy was a human noble who took a fateful trip through the bayou and was attacked by a weregator; he was bitten and left for dead, then later found by his family. He recovered from his injuries, but the next full moon showed him to be a were now himself. His family tossed him out after that, and he was forced to live like a hobo/hermit with limited knowledge on how to survive in this fashion.

He carried a lot of anger with him from the fact his posh life was stripped away from him, and it burdened him for a long time. At some point he came to terms with the fact that the anger didnt help him and wouldnt undo what was done to him - his fate was pretty much sealed. So he begins a quest to free himself of the grip of the moon by mastering his change. Once he does so, he becomes a hunter of other weres through his unique gifts - the beastial strength tempered by a shrewd intellect. He is generally a decent enough person but his Zealous crusade against weres may have claimed a few innocent lives, as his ultimate goal is to come as close to abolishing the disease as possible - I cant properly call him good-alligned but he is not explictly evil.

I really like playing characters that break the status quo without being super uber special snowflakes of ultimate doom.

I will make a sheet tommorow!

Interesting idea! From an in-world continuity point of view, how was it that he was able to master the lycanthropic curse? And from a background perspective, which campaign trait are you taking, and how are you integrating it into this story? Those two things could be linked behind the scenes though, so there's not really a wrong answer there.